Simmonds
Hartnell
Downie
Foligno
Foligno
Lucic
Dubinsky
Burns
Clowe
Clarkson
Kassian
Brown
Perry
Malone (kind of)
Kunitz
Bickell
Bertuzzi (kind of)
Backes
Stewart
Iginla (kind of)
Richards
3rd/4th liners:
Nolan
Nystrom
Hendricks
Prust
Moen
Neil
Smith
Dorsett
Boll
McLeod
Bordeleau
Clifford
King
Tootoo
Campbell
Thornton
Beleskey
Matthias
That's just off the top of my head. Why is it so hard for the Rangers to get, and keep a few of those players?
Wow, what a terribly misleadling list. Nearly all of these guys are nothing like Lucic.
There are very few guys in the league, that can play to his level, play a big hitting game and drop the gloves when necessary.
I'm so dissapointed in this list, I'm actually going to go through each "top 6" player you listed and disprove nearly all of them.
Prior to doing that, if the Rangers are going to go after a guy, there are only a handful int he NHL, i think are worth going for. They should sack up and just overpay to get one. Ott, Downie, etc. Get someone with an insane amount of grit, like Prust had and drop a nice prospect and a pick there way. We need to cut it out with the in between guys and certainly the awful decisions like Scott, Boogaard and Brashear.
Now, just so all laymen aren't mislead, i feel the need to do this.
_____________
Hartnell - Fair
Downie - Good
Foligno - Not top 6
Foligno - Are you referring to Marcus Foligno here? He's a prospect and hasn't shown he's worthy of sticking in the NHL let alone the top 6.
Lucic - Lucic compared to lucic....making your list look longer
Dubinsky - Callahan like- not like Lucic
Burns - 0 fights in his last two seasons....
Clowe - Is this a joke, not top 6 anymore and way overpaid
Clarkson - see above, seriously overpaid
Kassian - not top 6
Brown - Callahan like, closer to lucic then dubinsky though
Perry - again, really seems like you're confusing gritty (ala ryan callahan and numerous other rangers, dorsett, asham, etc, in comparison to tough guy who can play)
Malone (kind of) - declining player, waste of money
Kunitz - a whopping 1 fight in each of his last five seasons
Bickell - not top 6
Bertuzzi (kind of) - i hear gordie howe used to be a hardcore power forward also
Backes - see ryan callahan
Stewart - rangers fans would destroy this guy for lack of consistent effort
Iginla (kind of) - 10 years ago
Richards - mike richards?
A power forward like Lucic is extremely rare. You act like they're a dime a dozen. This list is filled with guys who play like Callahan, they hit a lot but aren't neccesarily "tough guys." Listing gritty players is laughable. Listing guys that throw their body around and score goals, while dropping the gloves and acting as an enforcer are so rare and the reason they are so coveted around the league.
Ott was like the only untouchable on Buffalo's roster last year. He's not even young and they are in a rebuild. Do you understand why? Because they're impossible to find.
I would never say that the Rangers shouldn't try to find guys to fill the clear void they have in this area, but it is not simple to develop this kind of player, nor is it simple to get one in the market.
If there are any rumblings of Ott or Lucic or even someone a little more lightweight then them, ala Downie, the Rangers should overpay to get them here. We have enough young prospects to afford to pay for one of these guys. Bite the bullet and do it. And not for a geezer/injury prone, over the hill guy like Clowe or Bertuzzi.